Starlit Hour
by meowmix777
Summary: The Great and Powerful Trixie and her apprentice discover a hive of Changelings in Equestria.
1. Act 1

Starlit Hour

Act One

He kissed her.

Starlit felt the pressure of the wall against her back. "Snails, I've got to get to class."

"Just a little more." Snails rubbed his horn against Starlit's. His gaze met her sparkling blue eyes. "That old witch can wait."

Starlit used her magic to push him away. "What happened to you, Snails? Come on…"

He looked groggily at her. "What do you mean, babe?"

Starlit took her witch's hat from the ground and secured it over her hair. "You…" she paused. "I need to start my learning session. Just because you already had yours…"

"I missed mine to be with you." Snails took a step towards Starlit.

"That's what I mean. It's just, we used to get along so well, especially with our studies… but our relationship…"

Snails lifted her head with his hoof. "I love you."

Starlit's hoof met his. "Me too." She broke contact. Things had been different before. Snails had gotten increasingly physical with her; she was starting to feel uncomfortable.

Snails surrendered. "All right. Hey, can I crash at your place today? My dad's being a jerk again."

Starlit nodded. With that, she galloped away.

* * *

><p>"You're late, Starlit. What's wrong?"<p>

"Nothing, Ma'am."

The teacher scoffed. "Ma'am! Remember what I told you- that makes me sound OLD. I'm the Great and Pow- I mean, Trixie."

Trixie swept towards a mirror, murmuring to herself. "I'm the appointed protector of this town. Meh muh meh muh… So, my pupil, did you finish your assignment?"

"Indeed I did, Mrs. Trixie. Might I add, I think I far exceeded it's expectations."

"Sure, sure… don't say 'Mrs.,' it's 'Miss,' thank you. Anyways, enough chatter- let's see your spell."

"May I have an animal? I need it to-"

Trixie remained at the mirror. "Make one appear, lazy…"

Starlit pulled a rabbit from her Hat. "Assignment 42.0," she announced, "Speed Spell."

Starlit's horn began to glow. The rabbit began to glow. Suddenly, it started jittering. It's simple step flung it halfway across the room; Starlit had made it a super-speedy bunny.

Trixie saw it from her mirror's reflection. "Speeding up is simple. Now, the counterpart."

Starlit flashed her horn again. The rabbit fell like a sandbag, this time straining for the slowest advancement.

Trixie turned. "Good. Not bad for my star pupil." She grinned, "I guess I'm a great teacher. Now, we'll begin-"

"Wait! I need to show you something else."

Trixie winced. Her nose twitched. "Something more important than the lesson?"

Starlit hunched. A pause.

"Well, hurry up and show me!"

Starlit jumped up. "Well, I figured, speed is a function of time, right? Well… if I can alter the time for him, then I thought of amplifying the power for my entire surrounding. In theory, I could apply this as a time travel spell."

"In theory…" Trixie was intrigued, "But a pony of your status, well, even for mine, it would take an incredible feat of power!"

"It did."

"What?"

"It took an amazing feet of power. Look-" Starlit pulled out a scroll from her hat and handed it to Trixie. "Today's lesson."

Trixie stared, baffled. "But- how! You- What?"

"I jumped to the future. The spell took all of my energy- people said I was passed out for most of the day. When I had gathered strength, I jumped back to the past. Surprisingly, I sort of woke up at the exact moment I had left off at that time… except with the things I had in my hat."

Trixie stood aghast. She had a twisted look on her face, which she usually had whenever Starlit "showed off," but this time, it had a very different sense.

"Leave."

"Excuse me?"

"Get out of here."

Starlit shuddered."But Ma'am, why?"

Trixie lowered the rim of her hat over her eyes. "I don't know what to do with you. I, I, I just don't."

Tears began to swell in Starlit's eyes. "But, Teacher, aren't you… proud?"

Trixie refused to look at her.

Starlit didn't giver her a chance to answer. She crashed through the door of the library, speeding towards her home.

TO BE CONTINUED...

**** This is an introduction to one of the OCs in this story: s/10726166/1/Seasons-of-Magic ***** STAY TUNED FOR ACT TWO!


	2. Act 2

Starlit Hour

Act 2

Starlit burst through the doors of her house. She passed through the kitchen, past the living room, and plunged into her room. Tears rolled from her cheeks and onto her pillow.

Starlit started to moan. She didn't know why. All she could think about was the rejection on her teacher, her master and role model's face. Did she think it was a joke, that she had stolen the scroll and lied? Or even worse, did she think that her spell was, in some way or manner, wicked?

Before long, Starlit found herself rolled over, pathetic.

But then she realized something.

For all the mess she had made, for all the hubbub, neither of her parents had come to comfort her.

Starlit got up and stepped to her door. She peeked over the corner. The rooms were dark and dreary, all the windows were closed, and a dull musk floated through the air.

"Mom? Dad?"

Starlit felt wet on her hoof. She looked down to see a trail of dark slime, leading down the stairs and into the living room.

Starlit followed the trail. It lead her beyond the living room, to the basement's entrance.

_Tat tat tat!_ Starlit jolted at the sound behind her. Someone was knocking at the door.

Starlit edged to the door, peering through the small window over the handle. It was Trixie.

Trixie didn't bother knocking again. "Starlit, I'm- did you do all this?"

Starlit shook her head slowly. She swept herself over to the door, turning to Trixie. Trixie followed.

The two passed through the door and walked through the dark shaft that led to the basement.

"We can't fit together," whispered Trixie. "Go, and I'll see your sight."

Starlit nodded silently and went on.

She finally reached the basement. The walls were dark and covered in slime. Starlit used her horn to produce a dim light. The trail illuminated in the dark, leading to the far corner of the room.

Starlit walked slowly towards the corner. Her light shone upon a black figure, laying dormant over a pool of slime.

Trixie's voice poured into Starlit's head. "A Changeling! Here in Ponyville!"

"Should we call the army?"

"No! I don't want to get caught up with General Dash- kill it!"

Trixie's voice faded as she began to store power in her horn.

Suddenly, the changeling shivered.

Startled, Starlit twitched. her sudden movement blasted a beam from Starlit's horn.

The changeling woke up. It scurried about before stopping to examine Starlit.

Mercilessly, she lot out another ray. It burned through his leg.

In pain, the beast began to scurry through the room. Starlit blasted more beams, each missing it's mark.

"Stop, Star, stop!"

Starlit kept shooting.

A beam struck another leg, the creature fell to the floor.

Satisfied, Starlit approached it.

"Stop?"

The creature tried to move away. "Stop! It's me!"

"Who? I don't care! Your race is filthy! Where are my parents?"

Before her eyes, the changeling shifted. "It's me, Snails. I've been copying him all along!"

It made sense. That's why he had been more aggressive towards her- he wanted to establish their connection even faster.

She felt anger rising from within her. At the same time, though, she saw the creature, helpless, vulnerable, without a chance.

"Why are you here?"

Starlit felt a pain in her head as Trixie tried to connect again. "What are you doing! Why's it still alive!"

"Our hive was banished form the main group, and we've been starving. A few of us tried to sneak in and find food, but…"

Starlit leaned closer. "But what?"

Trixie's frantic voice became second thought to Starlit. "_SOME_ of us? There's MORE!?" Trixie's voice was all babble.

A tear came from the changeling's eye. "But… we wanted… I like being a pony more than… I want to be a pony."

Instinct. Starlit embraced him. Her horn stopped glowing, but she didn't care.

The voice inside her head had left. She didn't feel rejected anymore- she was ashamed to have been the rejecter.

A light began to glow.

Starlit realized that the form under her hooves felt different. It had changed.

She stepped back. The changeling didn't look like Snails- it looked like something original. Some of its insect-like aspects were still present, but they were refined, beautifully glowing a green light.

His voice was soft and caring. "Most people don't know this. They think a changeling always looks like a bug, but our form changes with how people perceive us. Unfortunately, we're usually stuck in the form of hatred and discrimination."

Starlit couldn't believe it. "Let's show them."

Starlit lead the way back through the tunnel. They reached for the entrance, ready to face the light of the world.

But they were meat with darkness.

A troop of guards were stationed in various parts of Starlit's home. One of them was questioning her parents, which were covered with the slime.

The real Snails ran to meet Starlit. "You'll never believe…"

One of the guards pulled Starlit over. He didn't giver her time to ask what was happening. All of the sudden, she was alone in the room with Trixie. The sounds of the troops could be heard from the floor.

A large, sandy colt approached Starlit. "Starlit Hour, I'm Clay Ironhooves, personal assistant of the Department of Administration. Your professor contacted our leader, Princess Gaia Crepuscolo, alerting us to the presence of a Changeling in Equestria."

Starlit was dumbfounded. She hadn't realized that someone had entered the room behind her.

Ironhooves motioned towards the stranger. Starlit turned. Before her stood a purple alicorn with deep blue hair- Princess Twilight.

"Your majesty!"

Twilight motioned for the others to leave. Trixie stayed behind. Twilight locked the door. "I read the changeling's memories."

A bead of sweat crumbled down Starlit's face.

"Starlit, Trixie is an old friend of mine. I'm sure she's told you. She originally contacted me for a different reason, though. Now, taming a changeling is… well, something I've never seen. Quite frankly, I'm impressed."

Starlight gulped. Was the Princess really saying this?

"But before this, Trixie told me that you broke one of the established laws of magic. This is a lot more severe. I've only read of it in ancient manuals, and it's known to cause serious problems. In the hands of an amateur, it could very well destroy this world. Do you know what I'm talking about?"

"Time travel," the words slithered through Starlit's teeth.

"That's why I rushed over here. The changeling was just a coincidence- maybe even a sign. Do you know what I mean?"

Starlit was shaking.

Trixie chimed in, "Your powers shouldn't be used by an amateur."

"A sign that you're more than ready to learn a higher level of magic," Twilight said.

Starlit stood motionless.

"Silly, look at you, so scared! The Princess wants you to train with her! Not that I can't teach you, of course, but I know that you'll thrive at the castle, with Twilight's other prodigy students!"

Twilight laughed. "Exactly. I'll give you some time to think about it." Twilight unlocked the door. "We can discuss it with your parents."

"Wait," Starlit interrupted, "What about the changeling?"

Twilight sighed. "Unfortunately, he will have to be returned to his hive. He did break our laws."

"But he's changed. He's been… reborn."

"Someday you'll understand. That is, if you choose to study under me."

Twilight lead the outside the house. There was a big hustle of ponies trying to get a glimpse of the princess.

The changeling was being escorted to a covered carriage. Starlit met eyes with him.

"I hope I can come back."

Starlit knew he wouldn't. She certainly didn't plan on it herself.

***** Once again, this is a character intro for an OC in this story: s/10726166/1/Seasons-of-Magic *****


End file.
